Method and apparatus of presenting map indicia

ABSTRACT

A thin plastic planar sheet of material on which map indicia in printed is releaseably attached to the upper surface of a snowboard.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates generally to maps of ski trails which are utilized by skiers to aid in the determination of direction and location.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] A relatively recent development in snow skiing combines the elements of skate boarding and surfing on snow: snowboarding. The snowboard rider stands on the snowboard with one foot forward. Typically, non-releaseable step-in or plate bindings attach the snowboarders feet to the board.

[0003] In the last ten years during which snowboarding evolved, various improvements to snowboards have been made such as high back bindings on the snowboard boots and metal edges on the boards. Through this evolution, features such as center fins and split tails as well as wide short bullet-shaped boards have gone by the wayside. Snowboards are typically categorized as either alpine, all-mountain/all around/free riding and half-pipes/free style. Various lengths of boards are available. They are manufactured generally in the same manner as skis. Of course, various types of bindings and boots are also available.

[0004] Safety has also become of greater concern with snowboarders, and helmets are now quite commonly worn. Just as with downhill skiing, occasionally there are collisions between snowboarders which may be due in part to a failure to properly follow a particular ski path. Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a method and apparatus by which snowboarders could conveniently refer to a map which would illustrate various snow paths for the downhill snowboard runs for use while at a stand-still or while riding up the chairlift.

[0005] A number of ski map holders are known in the prior art such as PCT published application WO93/23838 which illustrates a ski pole trail map holder in which a bracket on a ski pole holds a tubular housing having a spring biased roller. The ski map pulls out from the roller in the fashion of a window shade. Others have used clear pouches or the like into which a ski map may be inserted such as the neckless type map holder shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,743,449. Similar map holder attachments have been devised which hold a ski map and which can be worn on the skiers arm, i.e., an arm band map holder such as is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,400,936 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,415,106.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] In one aspect, the present invention provides a ski map attached to the broad, flat upper surface of a ski board.

[0007] In another aspect, the present invention provides a ski map which is releaseably attached to the flat upper surface of a snowboard.

[0008] In still another aspect, the present invention provides a ski map drawing or rendering on the surface of a relatively thin polymeric sheet which clings to the upper surface of the snowboard such that it can be placed on the snowboard by hand (without adhesives) and then removed simply by peeling the map from the snowboard surface.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009]FIG. 1 is a plan view of a snowboard illustrating placement of the ski run map.

[0010]FIG. 2 is a plan view of the snowboard map of the present invention.

[0011]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a snowboarder on the snowboard of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Referring now to FIG. 1 of the drawings, snowboard 20 is seen having top or principal surface 22. Snowboard 20 will typically be formed in the conventional manner through wood lamination techniques, but any snowboard construction can be used successfully in the present invention. Snowboard 20 has front end 24 which (as best shown in FIG. 3) is the leading portion or edge which points downhill as the snowboarder advances down the slop; trailing edge or rear portion 25 is also shown.

[0013] Principal surface 22 of snowboard 20 has a number of attachment holes 26 for attaching boot retaining bracket (not shown). The nature of the snowboot brackets are immaterial to the present invention.

[0014] In accordance with the present invention, map 28 is shown on top or principal surface 22 at front end 24 of snowboard 20. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, map 28, in this particular embodiment of the invention, has printed directional indicia such as compass points 30 and ski run paths or trails 32 and 34. Additional information, textual or graphic, may also be printed on map 28. This printed information may include promotional logos and the like, lodge information and emergency telephone numbers. Placement of map 28 on principal surface 22 of snowboard 20 and the accompanying information printed thereon can be easily viewed by snowboard rider 36 (shown in FIG. 3) at a convenient time, such as on a ski lift or at the crest of a hill just before advancing down the slope. The orientation of map 28 relative to board surface 22 may vary depending on the size of map 28. In this manner, snowboarder 36 can conveniently review map 28 for the direction to be taken down the slope, i.e., the location and direction of the run, prior to starting the run.

[0015] In the most preferred embodiment of the invention, map 28 (as shown in FIG. 2) is a thin sheet of vinyl plastic having the capacity to releaseably adhere or “cling” to principal surface 22 of snowboard 20. The type of material used form map 28 in this embodiment can vary widely, but will typically be a polymeric material formed in sheets and having a surface on which the various map indicia can be permanently printed. The dimensions of map 28 will be dictated in part by the available surface area on principal surface 22 of snowboard 20. The thickness of map 28 will typically be between about 0.1 mil and 50 mils, and typically less than the thickness of a dime. Biodegradable material for forming map 28 may also be used. Of course, it is to be understood that the map indicia will generally be specific to the slope or group of slopes of the particular ski site or lodge at which snowboarder 36 is located.

[0016] Thus, in one embodiment of the invention, thin vinyl map 28 is a planar, flexible, vinyl (plastic) sheet printed with map indicia; map 28 can be obtained by snowboarder 36 at the ski lodge or the like and simply laid onto the principal surface 22 wherein map 28 lays flat and clings to principal surface 22.

[0017] One of the benefits over previous designs (i.e., hand-held paper maps) is that a person does not have to remove gloves or mittens to view the map; with possible sub-zero temperatures, this is a significant safety advantage in certain conditions.

[0018] It is anticipated that map 28 may be distributed as a free promotional item with the logos of corporate sponsors and like appearing thereon along with the maps directional indicia. It is also anticipated that the map may be sold or distributed at sporting goods stores or snowboard and ski specialty retailers. Still further, the map may be given out for free to snowboarders utilizing the ski mountain where they have purchased a lift ticket in the same way paper maps are given our presently.

[0019] In another embodiment, map 28 is formed integrally with, or permanently applied to, snowboard 20, for example, in the case of rental snowboards.

[0020] The present invention also includes a method of providing ski slope information to skiers by printing slope directional information on a thin plastic sheet which releaseably clings to the surface of a snowboard, and releaseably securing said map to the rider surface of the snowboard.

[0021] While particular embodiments of this invention are shown and described herein, it will be understood, of course, that the invention is not to be limited thereto since many modifications may be made, particularly by those skilled in this art, in light of this disclosure. It is contemplated, therefore, by the appended claims, to cover any such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A snowboard having a principal upper surface, a thin planar sheet of material releasable adhesive to said principal upper surface; and said thin planar sheet of material having map indicia printed thereon.
 2. The snowboard recited in claim 1, wherein said thin planar sheet of material is plastic and has the capacity to cling to said principal upper surface or said snowboard.
 3. A method of locating the direction of ski runs, comprising the steps of: providing a thin plastic flexible sheet with ski run information printed thereon; placing said sheet on the upper surface of a snowboard such that said sheet releaseably adheres to said surface of said snowboard. 